MS CLAKE IS DOING A PHD WITH LUKE KENNARD AT BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY, ON THE FEMINIST ABSURD IN AMERICAN AND BRITISH POETRY JENNA CLAKE I...

Saturday, 8 February 2014

YES TO SCOTLAND

As someone who had three grandparents with Scottish roots (one was a Fraser, the other a Hume, and the third, my paternal grandmother, was born in Motherwell), I am a British-Canadian with 75% Scottish ancestry (the last fourth is English - my paternal grandfather Stanley was a Cockney born in London) - so I feel some interest in the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence. I was opposed to Quebec separation, for the same reasons I am in favour of Scottish secession - history. Quebec, although colonised by the French over 450 years ago, was soon after defeated by the British; but ultimately belongs to the native Canadians who had lived there for tens of thousands of years, and still do in great numbers; the Crown promised these peoples their lands in perpetuity as they agreed to become Canadian. In Scotland, the indigenous peoples are the Scottish themselves, and, while there are complex reasons for the entanglement of the destinies of Scotland and England, it is a cultural, social and political entity with clearly defined borders and history, that could very easily function as a player on the world stage as a legal separate country - Scotland is already a nation. The ugly run of threats and doom-mongering of the last few weeks from bankers, businessmen, and the Prime Minister should be all the reason the Scottish voter needs to vote against staying yoked to an oppressive English upper-class power structure. Anyone with a heart and soul and pride knows it is better to be free and a little poorer, than have a bit of money in your pocket, but be on your knees. The great song by The Proclaimers, "cap in hand", should be the message. The Scottish are practical, and they invented capitalism, but they are also a nation of poets, actors, musicians, workers, farmers, artists, and comedians - why should they dance to the bean-counter's tune? Getting your country back comes with a price. This price is worth paying. Over time, Scotland independent would rise and become a great nation - perhaps small geographically, but a big country in spirit.